A Freak Accident on a Swing: Kenneth Lee Rutledge

There has to be a tragic story connected to the death of an 8-year old boy in 1964. Kids in the 1960s didn't die often, not like in the 1860s.

While going through the grave markers at the Gilmer City Cemetery in Upshur County, Texas (with much gratitude to the Upshur County Historical Commission, Eva Joyce Richardson, Geraldine Little Braswell ; Sandy Spann for their efforts), I came upon Kenneth Lee Rutledge, 10 May 1956-8 June 1964.

There was no death certificate in the online archives, so he must not have died in Texas. But why is he buried there? And whose child is he? Some poor family lost a child.

Kenneth was born too late to appear in any census records. NewspaperArchives.com has The Gilmer Mirror online for the 1950's and 60's. Nothing beats newspapers for finding the stories behind a tragic event. And this paper was no exception.

Poor Kenneth died in a freak accident at a day nursery in Las Vegas, where his family lived. He was on a swing that hung from chains. It seems they became twisted. Somehow his head was caught up in the twists, and he fell off the swing and broke his neck. He was probably buried in Enon Cemetery because his parents and grandparents were from Gilmer, and his family wanted him buried back home.